Opposites Attract
by MysticWilderness
Summary: ON HIATUS - How will the school bad boy and the girl whose social status is practically non-existent be able to co-exist together under one roof? The most probable answer: They won’t. Tim/OFC - Full summary, spoiler alert and disclaimer inside.
1. Chapter 1

SUMMARY: Jenny Chase lives alone and is looking for someone to stay in her house with her. Tami Taylor is looking for a more permanent place to put Tim Riggins, who is boarding at her house while he's on the outs with his brother. How will the school bad boy and the girl whose social status is practically non-existent be able to co-exist together under one roof? The most probable answer: They won't.

SPOILERS: Up to Season 2, Ep10/11, it goes AU after that. The whole debacle with Coach finding Tim with Julie in There Goes the Neighborhood **never** happened and Tim is in good standing with the Taylor's at the time of the story.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own this show, or any of the known characters, I am merely playing with them for a while and promise to give them back in the same condition they were taken.

Chapter One:

"Afternoon Jenny, thank you for coming in to see me on such short notice" Tami Taylor greeted sixteen year old Jennifer Chase, as she stepped hesitantly into the guidance office after the final bell on a Tuesday afternoon.

"Afternoon Mrs. T-Taylor, um, is there something wrong?"

"Oh no honey, nothing at all; actually I just wanted to ask you a quick question. Have a seat"

Jenny slid into one of the chairs in front of Tami's desk and tapped her foot nervously on the floor, her hand tucking some of her long, dark brown hair behind her ear.

"Nothing is wrong honey, I promise!" Tami exclaimed with a chuckle at the anxious young woman in front of her.

"Sorry, it's just that the last time I was called in here was for y'all to tell me that my Nana had passed last year, so I'm kinda iffy about sitting here again" Jenny said quietly, still shifting uncomfortably as unwanted memories came coursing back to her.

"Oh Jenny, of course sweetie, I'm sorry. Why don't we go walk and talk then?" Tami said as she stood from her desk.

"Oh, well if you don't mind?" Jenny questioned.

"Not at all, let's go" Tamie said, strolling out the door, Jenny scrambling to catch up.

"Now" Tami started once the pair was outside in the crisp early October air "Are you still looking for a roommate at that house of yours?"

"Yes ma'am" Jenny said, realization dawning on her "I had someone back in August, but she left town for college in September"

"Well, I just so happen to know someone who is looking for a place to stay right now" Tami said, trying her hardest to sound enthusiastic about the situation.

"Oh, alright, who?" Jenny asked as the pair ambled over to the gate closing in the football field where Coach Taylor was running practice.

"Now Jenny, I want you to keep an open mind about this. This person has been living at my house this past week, and, for the most part, has been a good, respectful house guest"

"Mrs. Taylor?"

"Hmm?"

"Who are we talking about?"

"Oh, right" Tami chuckled nervously "Tim Riggins"

"T-Tim Riggins?"

"Yes"

"Oh my" Jenny ran a hand through her medium length brown hair, effectively brushing her side-swept bangs out of her eyes.

"Indeed. Do you know him?" Tami questioned.

"Well I know his reputation. He is rather infamous with the ladies around here" Jenny struggled to come up with a somewhat decent way to explain Tim Riggins' reputation to the councillor.

"Hmm, yes I've heard. But y'all have never met?"

"Not officially, no" Jenny admitted.

"Well, that's ok, he's pretty low maintenance in terms of getting into a routine around the house. I'm sure he'll just generally be trying to stay out of your way. And if we do this, Coach Taylor and I will both be keeping a watchful eye on the situation, so you don't need to worry about that. We'll be laying some ground rules for Tim, and if you have any problems whatsoever just tell me or the Coach and we'll fix it. Remember that until he graduates, Coach Taylor owns Tim, so he'll play by our rules" Tami winked at Jenny, who laughed briefly, then sighed.

"I've never lived with a boy. I don't even remember the last time a boy was in that house. Probably mom's last boyfriend, but that was over a year ago"

"It'll be ok, you don't have to do this Jenny"

"Well, I really don't like living alone, and beggars can't be choosers. Who knows when another person will turn up? I...I guess I can give it a shot"

"Well great, let's go down and talk to Coach Taylor and Tim, and then I'll come over and help you get set up"

"That sounds great Mrs. Taylor. Thank you"

"No , thank you honey. I love Tim and all, but I have a new baby, my sister, my oldest daughter and my husband at home, which is a crowd in itself without throwing a teenage boy in the mix as well"

Jenny laughed at the relived look on Tami's face as they flagged down Coach Taylor.

"Hey honey" Eric Taylor called as he approached the girls. He kissed his wife and smiled at Jenny. "Hi there"

"Hi Coach Taylor" Jenny said quietly.

"Hon, this is Jenny Chase" Tami introduced the young girl, who shook Eric's extended hand.

"Nice to meet you Jenny" Eric said genuinely.

"Likewise" Jenny said politely.

"Honey, Jenny has a room for Tim Riggins at her house" Tami got right down to the point.

"Huh?" Eric said intelligently.

"She's living in a house all alone and was looking for a roommate. I thought Tim might like living in a place with a bit more freedom than what he has at our place, seeing as what he is used to at home with Billy"

"Why are you living alone? You don't look old enough to drive, let alone be living by yourself" Eric said, with a slightly accusing tone.

"I'm sixteen sir, but I'm an emancipated minor on account of my needing to take care of my Momma and her legal affairs when she was sick last year" Jenny explained.

"Oh, I see. And now...?" Eric prompted, trying to get the full story out of the quiet girl.

"My Momma passed on this summer, and I'm living in a house by myself"

"She had someone stay with her in August, but she left for college" Tami supplied "Now she is alone, which is not good, particularly for a young girl. I think that hit might be a good arrangement for the both of them"

"You really want to sic Riggins on her Ta...Mrs. Taylor?" Eric said bluntly.

"He'll behave; we'll make sure of it" Tami said confidently.

"Alright, hang on, let me get the boy and we'll talk"

Eric walked over and started to bellow for Tim, the young man swiftly jogging over to his Coach when he was called. Jenny and Tamie watched as Eric talked to Tim and gestured back at Jenny for a few minutes before they rejoined the women.

"Hello Tim" Tami said with a friendly smile.

"Hey Mrs. Taylor, how are you?"

"Just fine Tim, thank-you. Now, did Coach tell you about Jenny?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Now Tim, honey, we are by no means forcing you out. If this isn't something you want to do, you are welcome to stay with us. We just thought that you could have a bit more freedom living with Jenny. Not to mention an actual room with privacy, a real bed, and no screaming babies, crazy relatives and snarly...well no snarly Julie's. It is totally your call though" Tim smiled at the extreme, but fairly accurate description of life at the Taylor's house.

"I really appreciate all you and Coach have done for me ma'am, but I do think it's time I get out of your hair. Y'all do have your hands full"

"Riggins, you will respect this girl, and her home, no matter what, or there will be consequences" Eric said authoritatively.

"Yes sir" Tim agreed, eying Jenny curiously for the first time.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Tim this is Jenny Chase. Jenny, meet Tim Riggins" Tami introduced the teens

"Hey" Tim said with a nod, his hazel eyes meeting hers briefly before she looked nervously at the ground.

"Hi" Jenny muttered back, fighting the blush that she felt rising up her cheeks.

"So...we're agreed? Tim will try living at Jenny's?" Eric clarified.

"Seems that way" Tim said with a slight head nod "Quick question: how much you charging?"

"Nothing, just so long as you help a bit with chores and keeping the place neat" Jenny mumbled, keeping her eyes on the ground as she spoke.

"Well, that I can agree to" Tim smiled.

"Great, can we get back to practice then?" Eric asked impatiently.

"Yes, go. Get Tim's things and bring them to Jenny's after practice. I'm going there with Jenny now" Tami told her husband, who nodded, accepting the piece of paper with the directions to the house written on them.

"Ok, bye now" Eric waved as he and Tim ran back onto the field.

"So, now that we've got that sorted out" Tami started "Do you need to go to your locker?"

"No ma'am, I have what I need"

"Alright, then lead the way" Tami said as they made their way to the parking lot.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Jenny opened the door to her bungalow and stood aside to let Tami in.

"Be it ever so humble..." Jenny trailed off as Tami looked around.

"This is a really nice place you've got here Jenny"

"Thanks, it's not much, but I paid off the mortgage with my Nana's life insurance when she died last year, so it's all mine"

"Oh wow, that's fantastic!" Tami said, fully impressed "So where will you put Tim?"

"Um, well there's the master bedroom, and my Nana's old room. Both have a queen sized bed, two dressers and a nightstand. Only difference is the master is a little bigger and has a TV" Jenny explained

"You don't want the master bedroom honey? It is your house"

"Not really; I've lived in my room since we moved here. I'd feel weird in another room"

"Fair enough, then I guess Timmy can have the master?"

"Sure, I need to get sheets and blankets for it. Hopefully we have something that isn't too frilly or flowery for him" Jenny said, biting her lip in thought as she made her way over to the linen closet in the hallway that held the bathroom and bedrooms.

"I think you should give him the frilliest, most flowery set you've got" Tami said with an infectious laugh that Jenny caught and laughed along with, as she dug around until she pulled out a set of Navy blue sheets.

"Ah ha! Mom's 'Boyfriend Sheets'...she'd put these on the bed to make her room seem more 'boy friendly', though she didn't ever know I knew she let her boyfriends stay over"

"Oh no, really?" Tami said with a light laugh.

"Yeah, she thought she was so careful about sneaking them in after I was in bed and getting them out before I woke up but I'm a light sleeper and would hear the door. She was happy thinking I didn't know though, so I played along" Jenny said, though she blushed quickly afterwards when she realized that she had gotten caught up in the memory and was rambling a little.

"You and your mom got along well?" Tami asked quietly.

"She was my best friend in the world" Jenny said with a sad smile.

Tami was about to say something else when Jenny cleared her throat and started talking again.

"I've already got two shelves in the bathroom clear. Should that be enough?" she asked as she and Tami started to make the bed up.

"Yeah, I think that should be plenty" Tami said, going along with the change of subject for now, and letting the girl ramble on to help with her nerves about letting the school 'Bad-Boy' into her home.

"Ok, and I've got some clean towels, I'll just need to put them out real quick. I should give the bathroom a quick cleaning too, then tidy the living room and the kitchen if I get a chance" Jenny trailed off, making an inventory list in her mind of everything she hoped to get done before her guest arrived in about two hours.

"Well, if you want to do the bathroom, I'll finish in here and move onto the living room, then we'll see if the kitchen needs tending to, alright?"

"Oh, you don't need to do that Mrs. Taylor" Jenny started to protest.

"I offered, and I don't mind, so scoot!" Tami shooed the younger girl out of the room with a laugh.

Jenny and Tami worked companionably for the next hour, doing small chores around the house to make sure that it was suitable for when Tim got there. Although they both knew that his standards would not be as high as theirs, they still wanted the place to looks its best. By the time they heard Tim pull his truck into the driveway, with Eric's car parking on the street, the girls were sitting on the couch chatting while the spaghetti sauce, noodles, and garlic bread that Tami and Jenny had made were all slow-cooking in the oven and on the stove top, filling the room with a garlic-y aroma.

A slight look of panic crossed Jenny's face when Eric and Tim started to make their way up the driveway, both holding a duffel bag of Tim's things, and Tami reached over and patted her hand.

"It's gonna be just fine sweetheart. Coach Taylor and I are staying for dinner, so you two can get to know each other a little bit before we leave you alone, and you have any problems what so ever, you come and you find me, or you call me at home, ok? Any time" Tami reassured the young girl, who took a deep breath, nodded her head and stood to answer the doorbell that had just rung.

Opening the door she glanced up at Tim and then over to Eric, smiling softly at them both and opening the door wider so that they could enter.

"Hey there Jenny, this is a great place you've got" Eric said with a friendly smile as he put the duffel bag he was carrying down.

"Thank you Coach Taylor, that's real nice of you"

"Hey babe!" Tami called as she came into the foyer from the living room to embrace her husband.

"Mmm, something smells delicious" Eric commented after pulling back from hugging his wife.

"Jenny and I made spaghetti and garlic bread" Tami told the boys, and the girls shared a look when both their eyes lit up at the mention of the tasty meal. "It should be ready in about a half an hour, so why don't we get Tim settled in before we eat ok?"

"Sure, so Jenny why don't you give us a tour of the place?" Eric said when everyone had stood awkwardly in the hall for a moment.

"Oh! Yes sir, sorry, um, come on in. Um, l-living room is here" Jenny pointed to the right "Kitchen is through there" she motioned to the large open doorway in the living room that opened to the kitchen "There's no dining room, so there's a table in the kitchen, and uh, the bedrooms and bathroom are down here" she lead the way down the hall through the living room to the left side of the house and pointed out each room "That's the bathroom; um there's only the one, so we'll have to share" Jenny glanced over her shoulder at Tim, who nodded in recognition "Then that's a spare room right now, my room, and this is your room across the hall from mine" Jenny opened the door to the freshly made up master bedroom and lead the way in. "I-I-uh, t-there are clean towels under the sink in the bathroom, and the rest are in the linen closet just outside the door, same goes for wash cloths and hand towels and all"

"Pretty sweet digs here" Tim said in an approving tone as he took in the room he now called his own, tossing a wink over his shoulder at Jenny who blushed and stammered until he smirked and moved to put his bags up on the bed to be unpacked later.

"So Tim honey, this looks ok to you?" Tami wanted to be sure that both teens would be comfortable living in the house together...for the most part at least.

"Yeah Mrs. Taylor, this looks just fine" Tim gave her a quick, reassuring smile.

"Alright, well then why don't you unpack a little, and once you're settled come on out and we'll eat" Tami told him with a smile.

"Yes ma'am" Tim said and started opening one of his bags as the other three filed out of the room and into the living room again

"Can I get you a drink Coach Taylor?" Jenny offered as Eric and Tami sat down side by side on the love seat

"Oh, no I'm fine right now, thank you Jenny" Eric said as Jenny bustled around the kitchen getting the meal ready.

Eric and Tami spoke softly to each other as Jenny got the meal ready and Tami got up to help her when she started to put things out onto the table.

"Hon can you go tell Tim that dinner is ready please?" Tami called from the kitchen and they girls heard Eric walk down the hall to the bedrooms, and a moment later the boys came back and sat down at the table, while Tami and Jenny got drinks and got the finishing touches for the table.

The four got settled at the table and Eric said a quick grace over the meal before they all dug in. Once everyone had food on their plates Tami started to work on getting the conversation between the two new roommates.

"So Jenny hon, you mentioned before that your family moved here; when was that?" Tami asked, hoping to get more than a few words of an answer out of the girl.

"My, uh, my Momma and Daddy were both actually from Dillon originally, and they went away to Oklahoma State after they graduated high school, but neither finished out at college because they had me. I don't really know where my dad went, but my Momma and I stayed in Oklahoma until I was ten and then we moved back here when my Nana got sick. She moved in with us and we've been here since then"

"Oh, so you've been here quite some time; funny then that you and Tim have never really met" Tami glanced over at Tim, who was focused on his food, then back to Jenny.

"Hmm" Jenny made a non-committal noise and took a bite of food to try and give herself a chance to not have to speak for a moment.

"Well, I guess we should maybe lay down some of those ground rules we were talking about" Eric said after everyone had finished eating, and the conversation that Eric and Tami were trying hard to keep flowing finally died down.

"Alright" Tim drawled slowly, looking cautiously between the other three at the table as Eric dove straight in.

"You'll help to keep the common areas clean all the time, not only when Jenny asks you to clean up. Work out who is cooking what for whom and when, and who does what dishes. No parties unless the other person says it's OK ahead of time. Be respectful of the noise level; keep it down when the other is studying or sleeping. Any...overnight guests must be contained to your room unless the other gives permission for them to sleep on the couch. Remember to give each other messages if someone calls or comes to the door and they aren't home. Just generally be respectful of each other" Eric spouted off the list he and Tami had come up with while Tim was unpacking and Jenny was working in the kitchen. "Got that Riggins? Jenny?" he checked with both of them, although the rules were mostly for Tim and they all knew it.

"Yes Sir" both teens agreed, looking slightly overwhelmed, though for very different reasons.

"Oh, and Riggins, if you insist on drinking, make sure you put away your bottles and cans before you pass out...preferably in your own room" Eric said and Tim looked thoughtful, nodding his head.

"Though we, of course, don't condone your drinking and would prefer if you didn't at all" Tamie added hastily, tossing her husband a bad look.

"Yes ma'am" Tim said, though Jenny could have sworn he was fighting back a smile when he did so.

"Good, I'm glad we all understand each other. Now if one of you has a problem with the other breaking a rule or doing something you really can't stand that isn't on the list, you can try and work it out yourselves, or bring the matter to our attention and we'll try and work it out with you"

"Yes sir" Jenny said and Tim nodded along.

"Well that was a delicious dinner Jenny, thank you for having us over to your house" Eric said, and Tami got the hint that her husband wanted to go home so she stood and helped Jenny clear the table, and then giving Jenny a hug before joining the others in the foyer once again.

"Ok honey, we do need to get home, but I'll check up on your tomorrow ok?" Tami said to Jenny, who nodded.

"Yes ma'am and thank you for all your help today"

"Oh it wasn't a problem darling" Tami said, pulling the young girl into another hug, sensing that she was nervous and in need of some comfort.

"Good night Coach Taylor" Jenny smiled at the coach once she had pulled away from the hug.

"Good night Jenny; Tim, I'll see you at practice"

"Yes sir, see you tomorrow" Tim said, nodding in understanding at the warning look Eric gave him before flashing a smile and leading his wife out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

"Well, that was the most awkward meal ever" Tim said as he sat back down on the couch, flipping on the TV. "You care what we watch?" he questioned, glancing back at Jenny, who was standing in the foyer still.

"Oh, um, no you go ahead. I'm just going to go do the dinner dishes"

Tim made a face before looking at Jenny again "Did you want help at all?" he asked, not quite being able to keep the grimace off his face which made Jenny chuckle.

"I'll let you off the hook tonight, being your first night and all" Jenny told him with an easy smile.

"Cool, thanks"

"No problem" Jenny escaped into the kitchen and released a deep breath she didn't know she was holding before smiling at the fact that she had just had her first unsupervised conversation with Tim Riggins and survived.

Jenny quickly washed all the dishes and put her kitchen back into order before hesitantly re-joining Tim in the living room, perching on the love seat while Tim was sprawled out over the couch watching, surprise, a football game. She waited until a commercial beak and then softly cleared her throat.

"Uh, Tim?"

He looked up at her like he had just realized she was back in the room.

"Yeah?"

"Um, t-there's a set of house keys for you hanging on the peg beside the front door, next to my keys. I, uh, I w-won't be back until late tomorrow so you'll want to remember to bring them with you"

"Where are you gonna be?" Tim asked, turning his full attention to his new roommate

"I have band practice and then I work, so I won't be home until about 10:30 or so"

"You're in a band? Like marching band?" he asked, barely suppressing his smirk.

"No, actually I'm the lead singer of a band called A Fine Mess"

"Huh" he looked mildly impressed "What sort of stuff do you play?"

"Oh, well, I guess if we had to pick a genre it would be like pop/rock, but we do a lot of acoustic stuff, and sometime get more into a country vibe too. It's me and four other girls from our school, and we've got keys, an electric, acoustic and bass guitar, and drums, plus I play while I sin too sometimes and...oh my gosh I'm rambling, I'm sorry" Jenny finished, her face burning red as Tim watched her with an amused expression on his face. He noticed the way her eyes lit up when she talked about the band and made a note of it.

"It's cool, maybe I'll com check you guys out sometime"

"Oh, well we don't really ever get that many gigs, but if we do, I'll let you know" Jenny said, happy she had gotten the sentence out without stuttering, though her face was still warm from blushing.

"Yeah, for sure" Tim said, and was almost surprised to realize that he was actually vaguely interested in going to see Jenny's band, even after what had happened when he went to see Landry's 'band' the year before.

"So, um, I'm wh-what, um, do-do you eat breakfast before school?"

Tim was slightly taken aback at the question, but then caught up with Jenny's change in thought process and answered.

"Usually, if I'm up in time"

"Ok, well I'll make enough for two then, and it'll be ready around 7:30?" she said, though it came out as more of a question then a statement.

"Sounds great" Tim said, sounding sincere

"Ok, then I'm gonna just go and do some homework. Uh...good night"

"Yeah, night" Tim said as he un-muted the TV and the sports announcers voice came back and he fixed his eyes back on the screen.

***

Jenny's heart just about stopped in her chest the next morning when Tim appeared at the kitchen table in a pair of low-slung jeans, an open plaid shirt revealing his tanned and toned chest and stomach, and his hair still dripping from the shower.

"Morning" he mumbled, still half asleep and not noticing that Jenny's eyes seemed to be stuck on the bared skin he was showing. Mentally shaking her head, Jenny smiled.

"Good morning, d-did you sleep ok?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah it's a great bed" Tim said as Jenny put a plate of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages in front of him.

"Whoa, when did you have time to make all this?!"

"I get up at six" Jenny said simply, not expanding on her reasoning

"Well alright then; thank you"

"You're welcome" she said as she came back to the table with her plate full of food as well, the pair eating in companionable silence.

When Tim was finished his food he got up, put his plate in the dishwasher and then Jenny watched with fascination as, with only a slight hesitation, he picked up a dish rag and started to wash the pans and bowls that Jenny had left in the sink from cooking. Jenny got up as well and put her plate in the dishwasher, then took the bowl from Tim's hands to dry it and put it away while he started on the next dish. They continued on like that until the dishes were done. Jenny was about to head back to her room when Tim spoke up.

"Where do you work?"

"Beg your pardon?" Jenny asked, confused

"You said last night that you work tonight. Where do you work?"

"Oh! Um, the concessions stand at the movie theater"

Tim nodded thoughtfully before a smile broke out on his face.

"Do you get free popcorn?" Jenny laughed at the hopeful expression on his face

"Half price admission and all the popcorn I can eat...which admittedly isn't all that much, but yes"

"That's awesome"

"Yeah, it's not too bad there. Do you have a job?"

"Football"

"Oh, right"

"Yeah, well I've gotta go in early today, so I'll see you later?" Tim said as he buttoned his shirt all the way

"Yeah, later" Jenny said and Tim nodded before he swept back to his room for his jacket and bag and then called out a goodbye as he walked out the door, leaving the house key on the peg.

Twenty minutes later when Jenny was getting her keys she saw the ones Tim left behind. Sighing, she put them in her pocket to give to him later.

***

It wasn't until lunchtime that Jenny found Tim, sitting at a table with most of the 1st string football players, and surrounded by tables full of cheerleaders and rally girls all vying for the football players' attention.

"Hey Kim, I'll be right back" Jenny said to her friend and fellow band mate, who looked up at Jenny through her thick black-framed glasses for a moment before turning back to her copy of Wuthering Heights.

"Where you going?"

"Venturing into unknown territory" Jenny said, motioning over to the table where Tim sat "I have to give Riggins his house key"

"My Lord, first he has infiltrated your home, and now you have to go and talk to him and his people at school? This is swiftly turning into a code red Jen" Kim said, flickering her gaze back up to Jenny then back to her book in the same instance.

"I'll be fine, it'll just take a minute" Jenny said with more confidence then she really felt before she turned and slowly made her way towards Tim and the other guys on the football team, who were easily some of the most intimidating people Jenny had ever seen.

"Um, e-excuse me, Tim?" Jenny said quietly, her eyes fixed on a spot on the table as soon as those sitting at the table looked her way.

"Sorry kid, this table is VIP only" Smash Williams said in a snotty voice.

"No, I didn't, I just, you forgot your key" Jenny handed Tim the key-chain with three keys labeled 'FRONT', 'BACK', and 'GARAGE'.

"Thanks" Tim said, though it sounded very insincere, and then put the keys into his pocket. "Anything else?" he said to Jenny with a snide tone that had almost the whole table laughing at Jenny, who flushed red and started to walk away. The only one who wasn't laughing was Matt Saracen, who looked sympathetic. Just before Jenny got out of earshot she heard Smash talking again:

"Riggs, who was that, and why is she giving you her key?"

"That's just the chick who's letting me crash" as all Jenny heard Tim say before she was out of earshot and sitting with Kim again, burying her nose in her own book in hopes of forgetting the people laughing at her a few tables away.

A/N: Hey guys, just a quick side note here, the name of the band 'A Fine Mess' is not mine, it is actually the title of Kate Voegele's newest CD, so obviously no copyright infringment was intended, I just thought it would be a cool band name...and yeah, that was about it, so thanks for reading my story and I hope you like what's to come :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Jenny was on her way to her locker for her next class after lunch when Tami showed up and pulled her into an abandoned classroom.

"Hey sweetie, how are you?" Tami asked with a pleasant smile.

"Hi Mrs. Taylor, I'm fine, how are you?"

"Oh I'm doing good honey, I was just checking in to see how last night went" Tami told the younger girl, as she watched with suspicious eyes to make sure that Jenny told her the truth.

"Well, last night wasn't so bad, and neither was this morning, but then it got weird today at lunch" Jenny said, shifting so that she was perched on the edge of one of the desks, Tami doing the same.

"Oh, what do you mean? Did something happen?"

"Well, last night I cleaned up dinner and then talked to Tim for a little while, before going to do homework; he was watching a football game. And then this morning, I made breakfast since I'm an early riser and was making it for myself anyway. Tim actually helped me with the dishes and even made some conversation, asking me about stuff, but then he had to go into school early and forgot his house key. So I brought it with me and found him at lunch, sitting with all those football players..." Jenny trailed off and Tami nodded in understanding.

"And the nice, polite Timmy Riggins who was at your house turned into Neanderthal Football Star Tim Riggins?" she guessed.

" Exactly, I mean some of those boys were being really rude, laughing at me and saying some not so nice things, which I wasn't shocked by, since they've been doing that since I've known them, but what I didn't get was that Tim joined right in with the laughing and being rude. I mean I didn't expect us to become BFF's overnight or anything like that, but I was kinda hoping he wouldn't be a jerk when he saw me in public"

"You know what hon, I'm sure it's not personal, that's just the way Tim is. He's got a reputation, not only with the girls as you said before, but with his teammates, and with the entire school really, and though it's not the best reputation, it's the name he's made for himself, and he's gonna do what he can to keep that reputation alive"

"Yeah, I know you're right, I just...he seemed so nice and normal before"

"Well there's your mistake right there: football players are never normal" Tami said with a sparkle in her eye, and Jenny laughed.

"I suppose you're right Mrs. Taylor, that does seem to be so. So I should just let the behavior at school go, as long as he's still being good at home?"

"Yeah, for now, unless it becomes totally unbearable"

"Alright, well thank you for the talk ma'am, I've got to run to class now though" Jenny said, glancing at the clock and wincing at the time.

"Oh, here, take this" Tami pulled a pre-signed late slip out of her pocket and handed it to Jenny, who gratefully took it with a smile.

"Thank you ma'am, y'all have a good day now" Jenny said, before bolting out of the classroom and nearly ploughing into the very person she had just been talking about.

"Whoa, slow down there, you alright?" Tim asked once he had steadied Jenny's balance by holding onto her shoulders.

"Oh, ye-yeah, I'm fine, I just gotta get to class, I'm late" Jenny explained before flashing a quick smile and darting off to her classroom.

Tim watched her go with curiosity then turned his head at the sound of a throat being cleared.

"Shouldn't you be running to get to class as well Tim?" Tami said with an affectionate smile at the boy

"Yes ma'am, I was just getting something from my locker" Tim explained, holding up a notebook for her to see.

"Oh alright, well hurry along then" Tami smile at Tim and shooed him away to his class before making her way down the hall to her office.

***

Tim was curious as to what Jenny and Tami had been talking about earlier that day, and he knew it was going to bug him until he found out, so before practice started at the end of the day, he ran out to the parking lot and caught Jenny just as she was getting into her car.

"Jenny!" he called out and she looked up in surprise at seeing Tim approach her.

"Um, hi" she said, letting the shock sound in her voice.

"So do I have to start packing?" Tim asked and Jenny got very confused.

"Start packing? What on earth do you mean?"

"You were talking to Mrs. Taylor before...did I screw up already?" Tim asked, the tone of his voice making it sound like a joke but Jenny saw something in his eyes that made her wonder if he was actually worried that he had made a mistake so soon.

"No, not at all...Miss-Mrs. Taylor was just checking in is all. I'm sure Coach Taylor will do the same at your practice" Jenny tried to send a reassuring smile, though she felt it may have been a little shaky.

"Alright, so we're cool?" Tim checked as he started to back away in preparation for turning back to the school.

"Yup, we're cool" Jenny said and opened her car door, nodding at the wave Tim sent her before he jogged back to the school, so he could get ready for practice; Jenny couldn't help but notice the way he ran and took a minute to watch him get into the building before shaking her head, letting out a breath and pulling out of the parking lot.

Meanwhile, Tim had just entered the locker room and was changing into his pads when Smash sauntered into the room and immediately started talking to him.

"So Riggs, you gonna tell us about the girl you're living with?"

"Nothing to tell man, needed a place to stay, she had a room" Tim shrugged as he pulled his jersey on, making sure it was straight.

"I ain't seen her 'round before" one of his teammates, Reyes, commented "She new?"

"Naw, she said she's been here since grade four or something" Tim said, then started to look for his headphones so he wouldn't have to listen to Smash talk anymore.

"Well she could majorly damage your rep Riggs, she keeps coming up to you in public and the like...girl ain't half bad looking but other than that, she's a loser, for real y'all"

Tim was about to respond when he saw Eric out of the corner of his eye and knew the Coach had heard Smash running his mouth. Fully entering the room, Eric shot Smash a look and barked out:

"Smash, sit down and shut up, we've got work to do people"

"Yes sir" the whole team shouted before setting down and listening to the Coach talk.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry it was such a short chapter, I just wanted to update before I had to go to work tonight and this was all I had time to write. The next chapter should be up by tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Thanks for those of you who have taken the time to review, it means a lot to me, and I hope everyone is enjoying the story :)

- Mystic


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys, I just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who has been leaving those great reviews for the previous chapters :) I'm so glad that other people are enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it, and I hope that the reviews keep on coming because they really do help to keep me pumped about the story and keep me writing faster. That being said, this is another shorter chapter, but it's all leading up to some longer ones that are coming up soon, so please bear with me. And without further ado, here is Chapter Five. Enjoy!

Chapter Five:

Jenny's shift at the movie theater started at six, and it was turning out to be a pretty slow night when Matt Saracen and his friend Landry Clarke came up to the counter.

"Hi there, what can I get for you?" Jenny asked in her perky 'Customer Voice'.

Landry placed their order and while Jenny was counting out his change Matt started talking to her.

"So, um, y-you're the girl living with Tim Riggins right?"

Jenny glanced up and nodded before moving over to pour their drinks.

"Well technically he lives with me; it's my house" Jenny told them as she set their cups down and started to get their popcorn.

"Oh, well, uh, I'm sorry about what the guys were saying at lunch today. Th-that was uncalled for"

Jenny smiled tentatively at Matt.

"Thanks, but it's Ok, I'm pretty much used to football players being jerks...no offense" she tacked on to the end of her statement when she saw Matt wince a little at her harsh words.

"Naw, it's ok, you're right, a lot of them are jerks and give the rest of us a bad name" Matt agreed after a moment.

"Hey, if you ever want to hang out with football players who won't treat you like dirt, my friend Matt here is a stand up young man and I myself, while not a football player, will not treat you like dirt" Landry spoke up, flashing Jenny a smile.

"Oh, well, um, thanks I guess. I'm pretty much anti-football though. I know nothing about it except that people who play it suck...present company excluded on a trial basis. However, if I do suddenly feel the need to be friends with a none-dirt-treating football player and friend of football player, you two will be on the top of my list" Jenny told the boys with a slightly sarcastic, though not unkind tone of voice and then handed them their popcorn. "Enjoy your show"

"Thanks" Landry called, already half-way to the theater with the popcorn and his drink.

"Yeah, um hey, what's your name?" Matt asked on an afterthought, and Jenny laughed.

"Jenny Chase"

"I'll see you around Jenny" Matt said before calling after Landry "Hey don't go hogging all the popcorn now!" and Jenny shook her head at the pair as they disappeared into the theater.

As she predicted, it was about 10:30 when Jenny let herself into the house, balancing a large bag of popcorn, her bags and her keys in her arms.

"Hey" Tim said from his place on the couch, a textbook open beside him, a beer bottle in hand, and the TV on low in the background.

"Hi...I brought popcorn" Tim craned his next to watch Jenny as she walked past him into the kitchen, where she got out a small bowl, dumped some of the popcorn in it and then brought the bag back out to Tim. "Help yourself, I've got all I want" she told him, setting the bag down by his textbook.

"Thanks"

"No problem. Um, I've got some homework to do, so I'll be in my room. Did you eat already?"

"Yeah, I already ate"

"Alright, well I'll let you get back to your...work" Jenny hesitated to use the word 'work' for what Tim was doing, but she didn't want to insult him either, so she left it alone.

"Yeah, later" Tim responded as Jenny made her way to her room, feeling slightly bristled by Tim's unresponsiveness.

Just the act of opening the door to her room automatically made Jenny feel calmer and more centered. She made her way in, leaving the door open to get the air flowing, and put her bag down on the floor next to the large silver bean bag chair that sat upon the dark purple area rug that covered the hardwood. An array of instruments in their stands were around the perimeter of the midnight blue walls, with a desk in one corner and an overflowing bookshelf in the other, the bed pushed against the wall. Jenny's favorite part of her bedroom had to be the ceiling, which her mother had helped her drape with blue, purple and silver chiffon to give it an almost cloud-like, ethereal feel.

With a sigh Jenny sunk down into her bean bag chair and felt around until she grasped the remote for her stereo, turning it on whatever CD she had left in there the night before. She was just settling down to read a few more chapters of The Catcher and the Rye for her English class when she heard a sharp intake of breath and looked up in time to see Tim outside of her doorway looking in, one word escaping his mouth:

"Whoa"

"Hey" she said quietly, marking the place in her book with her finger and setting it on her lap.

"Nice room" Tim said appraisingly, his eyes lingering on the plush bed, the bookshelf and then finally on Jenny on the floor on her chair.

"Thanks...you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just heading out actually so...you good here?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Have fun" Jenny smiled at him

The way that Tim smirked and said "Oh, I will" had Jenny blushing without really knowing why, but it made her suspect that his late-might outing would not be one that the Taylor's would have approved of, had he still been living there.

"O-ok, well, could you please lock up when you leave?" Jenny asked, finding herself not being able to fully meet Tim's intense gaze.

"Sure, and uh, I'll be real quiet coming in"

"Thanks, I'd, I'd appreciate that. Um, are you ok to drive? You were drinking...I don't mind giving you a lift somewhere" Jenny thought she'd better ask even though she knew he would probably decline.

Tim chuckle and good naturedly rolled his eyes.

"I had one beer, it takes a lot more than that to get me to the point where I can't drive. Thanks though"

"Ok, G'night then" Jenny said, knowing her face had heated up in embarrassment yet again.

"Yeah, night" Tim smiled at her and then disappeared down the hall, the sound of the front door closing and being locked following shortly.

Jenny read several chapters of her book, and jotted down a few notes in her notebook for the class discussion the next day and then wandered back into the kitchen to put her bowl away and get a glass of water before turning in. Jenny smiled though when she saw the beer bottle that Tim had been drinking out of in the little blue recycling bin next to the garbage can, and the bag of popcorn she had brought home, of which as substantial part had been eaten, had been carefully sealed by rolling the bag down and secured with a piece of tap and placed on top of the fridge, so that it wouldn't clutter the counter tops.

Curious, Jenny poked her head into the living room and saw that the TV remote was sitting neatly on the coffee table, the textbook Tim had been using had been put away, and the throw blanket that she kept on the back of the couch had been re-folded and put back in its place so that it didn't look rumpled. It made Jenny feel good that Tim had cleaned up of his own free will, but she suspected that it was merely because he had been so horrid to her that day in front of his friends, and he was trying to make it up to her without having to actually admit what he did and apologize for it.

Thinking back on what Tami Taylor had told her earlier that day though, Jenny decided to not think about why Tim was cleaning up, and instead marvel at the fact that he had cleaned up at all, because from what she had heard, the house that Tim had been living in with his brother Billy was pretty much the epitome of disgusting.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Nearly two weeks had passed since Tim has moved in with Jenny, and it seemed to her that the 'honeymoon' period had ended on his second night in the house, when he had remembered to clean up. Since then she had come home several time to find Tim passed out, or nearly passed out drunk; if he went out he would come crashing into the house at ungodly hours of the night; and twice Jenny had had the most unpleasant experience of getting up in the morning to find a random girl sneaking to the front door, one of whom winked at Jenny before slinking out of the house, still haphazardly pulling her clothes on.

Jenny had managed to hold her tongue up until then, but on that particular Thursday night, so many things had gone wrong that she was just below her boiling point before she even got home from work. It was almost 11:30 at night when Jenny finally got home, soaking wet from the pouring rain outside. She let the door slam shut behind her and looked up to find not only Tim, but Jason Street, Lyla Garrity, Tyra Collette, Matt Saracen, Julie Taylor and Landry Clarke all sprawled around her living room, which looked like a bomb had gone off in it there was so much mess.

"Whoa, Chase what happened to you?"Tim asked and Jenny was surprised to hear that he wasn't slurring yet, despite the late hour.

"My car broke down, I had to walk home in the storm" she said as she peeled off her wet jacket, shoes and socks, rolling up her pant legs so she wouldn't drip on the floor.

"Why didn't you call? Someone would have come and get you" Tim told her after he took a sip of his beer.

"I did call Tim. Twice. No one picked up" Jenny did nothing to try and hide the irritation in her voice "Now if all y'all will excuse me, I have an English paper due tomorrow that I have to finish. Have a good night"

"Good night Jenny" Matt called out and she waved over her shoulder without turning around. "Um, should we go? We-we probably shouldn't disturb her if she's working. She may come out and kill us" Matt said and the group chuckled, though there was a slight edge of truth to what Matt said, Jenny had been shooting daggers out her eyes when she came through the door.

"Naw, it's fine, she studies with music on, she won't hear us" Tim told the group, and then clicked the movie they were watching back on, everyone setting back into their comfortable 'movie watching' positions.

Around 12:30 the movie was over and the group had all cleared out of the house. Tim took one look at the disassembled living room and kitchen before turning around and heading to his room.

"Tim?" Jenny called from her room, and he stuck his head in to respond.

"Yeah?"

"Did you clean up the living room?" Jenny asked from her place at her desk, not sounding accusatory, just curious if the job had been done or not.

"Oh, uh, no I was gonna do it tomorrow" Tim said, though Jenny didn't buy it, and something in her snapped.

"Oh come on Tim, that is crap and you know it!" she exclaimed, shocking both Tim and herself so much that while he stayed quiet, and she took a deep breath, deciding to get it all off of her chest. "Tomorrow is a game day, so once you're at school you won't be home until after the last party shuts down for the night whether you win or lose, so don't feed me that bullshit line when you know perfectly well that it's not true. Now, I have let you get away with your crap for two weeks, but I cannot take it anymore! If you don't start cleaning up after yourself and being QUIET when I'm studying or sleeping then I'm going to have to tell Mrs. Taylor that this isn't going to work out because honestly, I haven't had an uninterrupted night's sleep in over a week and it's driving me insane. I am at my wits end here, so if you could please, please just pull your head out of your ass for a day or two, and think of someone other than yourself, that would be really good" Jenny growled in frustration, clenching her hands in her hair as she tried to stem the tears that were now streaming down her face, that was blotchy with anger. "Now, I have to finish this essay and then cram for a science quiz I have to write tomorrow, so you're going to go clean up your mess and for God's sake do it quietly so that I can get _some_ sleep before I have to get up at the crack of dawn and walk to school since my car has died" By now Jenny had stopped yelling, but was still speaking in an extremely harsh, borderline hysterical tone, tears still coming down her face and her breath hitching in hyperventilation from yelling and crying at the same time for so long.

The shocked expression on Tim's face had stayed there for most of Jenny's tirade before it shifted into one of guilt, and then finally of concern for the small girl in front of him, as he realized just how over-stressed she was and how much he wasn't helping the situation. Taking a few tentative steps towards her, Tim reached out and easily pulled her up against his firm chest, wrapping his arms around her as she struggled to get her breathing under control.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she hicoughed, sounding slightly muffled as she spoke into his shirt.

"I'm hugging you. You're upset" he told her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But, I-I was just yelling all those horrible things at you" Jenny sniffled, confused by his kind actions when she had just taken a strip off of him moments before.

"Yeah, but you were right, so it's Ok" Tim said simply "Do you want some tea or something?"

Jenny choked out a laugh at that and pulled out of Tim's embrace, wiping at her eyes.

"Do you even know how to make tea?" she asked suspiciously and Tim smiled

"Yeah, Tyra taught me...she always needed tea after giving me a verbal ass kicking, so I figured why mess with tradition?"

This had Jenny laughing outright and she took a deep breath, finally being able to stop hyperventilating.

"Yeah, a cup of tea would be great. I'm just gonna get cleaned up and then I'll be out"

"Alright, take your time" Tim slipped out the door while Jenny took a few calming breaths then made her way to the bathroom to splash some water on her face before grabbing her laptop and going into the living room, where she found Tim cleaning up. Jenny put her computer down and started to help but he shot her down.

"You sit, I've got it"

"But, I-"

"Nope. Sit" He gave her a stern look and she relented.

"Well, alright" Jenny pulled her sweater closer around her body, got comfy on the couch and opened up her laptop to start working on her essay again.

"Hey, what do you like in your tea?" Tim called from the kitchen a few minutes later

"Just milk please" Jenny called back as she typed away, having had a stroke of inspiration for her final paragraph moments before that she didn't want to lose.

"Here you go" Tim said softly, so he wouldn't startle her, when he put a mug of tea down on the coffee table in front of her.

Jenny looked up and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, and about before...well honestly I'm not sorry about what I said" Tim raised his eyebrows at her unusual bluntness but let her continue "However I am sorry for how I said it. I guess I wasn't really sure how to confront you on everything...you can be slightly intimidating you know" she glanced up at him with a wry smile "I suppose I just let everything build up and this was just the straw that broke the camel's back, you know?"

Tim sat down next to Jenny on the couch, turning his body so that he was facing hers before he spoke.

"I, uh, well I'm not the best at this heartfelt apology stuff; in fact I don't usually ever say I'm sorry, since I'm usually not"

Jenny scoffed ruefully at his statement but he held up his hand, indicating that he wasn't done.

"However, in this particular case, I think you're right; I've been taking advantage of you being the quiet type who won't tell me off for stuff, and I'm ... well I'm sorry. I'll work at not doing that anymore" Tim was looking at a spot just below Jenny's left ear, instead of making eye contact and Jenny realized that for once she had put Tim in the uncomfortable spot, not the other way around, and that he was truly sincere.

"Thank you Tim, I appreciate that, and your apology is accepted" Jenny told him with a sweet smile, tucking a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail back behind her ear.

"You know, I'm pretty sure you're one of the only girls at Dillon that wouldn't be freaking out at the idea of me seeing them in their sweats" Tim said with a cocky half-smile, only now fully noticing that Jenny was in a pair of black sweatpants that were about three sizes too big, a black tank top and a grey zip up hoodie that was also over-sized.

Jenny rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Yeah? Well what can I say, am I not like most of the girls at Dillon, and honestly, I'm glad of it"

"That's for sure" Tim said as he stood up to finish tidying, laughing when Jenny swatted at his leg when he passed by

"Hush you!" She laughed, ducking out of the way when he leaned over the back of the couch to try and ruffle her hair.

The two finally settled down and went about working in companionable silence until Tim was done cleaning and decided to turn in for the night. Jenny bid him good night, but stayed up until about two in the morning editing and then printing her essay, forgoing the studying for her quiz so that she might actually get a couple hours decent sleep that night.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long space between updates there...I had to work a bunch of crazy shifts and then some of my family from out of town decided to come visit so it got a little hectic around home. I'll have another update for you probably by tomorrow night, or Saturday at the latest. Enjoy Chapter Seven! And also, thanks so much for all the great reviews you guys have been leaving...they seriously make my day! 3

- Mystic

Chapter Seven:

Tim was up, showered and dressed the next morning before he realized that Jenny wasn't awake. He stood outside her room and knocked, but when he didn't get an answer he slowly pushed open the door and walked in. Jenny was asleep in a nest of blankets, only her head and shoulder visible. Tim sat down on the edge of the bed and gently shook her shoulder, her sleep-warmed skin seeping onto his hand through the thin material of her t-shirt.

"Hey, Chase, time to get up" he said, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't startle her too badly.

Jenny slowly opened her eyes, and then bolted upright when she saw Tim sitting so close.

"What? Oh my God, what time is it?" she asked in a panic, the fog of sleep still clouding her mind as she climbed out of the bed, nearly tripping over Tim in her haste.

"Calm down, you've got some time. It's about 7:30" Tim told her, getting up from the bed as well and watching as Jenny started at him in disbelief.

"What?! No! I fell back to sleep! I'm never going to make it to school on time" she groaned, looking lost as she tried to figure out what she had time to do.

"Hey, calm down" Tim said, gripping her shoulders and leaning down to look her in the eyes "Go shower, get dressed, and get your stuff. I'll drive you to school, we'll stop for food on the way" he told her, giving her a light push towards the door to get her moving.

"Right, Ok, thanks" she flashed him a smile and then ran out of the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny came into the living room, her hair soaking wet and tossed up in a messy bun, and found Tim on the couch, his head tipped back and his eyes closed.

"Um, Tim? Are you awake?" she asked hesitantly.

"Unfortunately. Let's roll" he replied, and slowly rolled to his feet in a lazy yet graceful motion that Jenny admired for a moment before following him out the door, locking up behind them.

Jenny followed Tim down to his truck and climbed up into the passenger seat, settling in and pulling out her biology notebook.

"Chase? What the hell are you doing?" Tim asked as he pulled onto the street.

"I didn't study for my quiz last night; I was gonna read my notes while I was walking to school, but this works too" she explained in a distracted tone.

"What's your quiz on?" Tim glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"The stages of Mitosis...what each stage is called, what happens and stuff like that"

"Oh yeah, I remember doing that last year...very vaguely" Tim chuckled to himself "Tell me about the stages...Anaphase and all that crap"

Jenny looked over at Tim in surprise and he smirked.

"What? I can't know things now and then?"

And with that Jenny spend the rest of the car ride to the school telling Tim about the phases of Mitosis in preparation for her quiz, stopping only briefly to make a coffee and donut run to help sustain them until lunch.

"So, um, how is this going to work with the truck and all, with you having to go to an away game tonight?" Jenny asked as Tim pulled into the student parking lot.

"Well...I could let you take my truck tonight, but there would be a condition" Tim said, and Jenny looked suspicious as she hesitantly asked what the condition would be.

"You would have to come to the game tonight"

"What? Tim, I can't do that" Jenny protested

"Why not?"

"Well, I, I don't go to the football games, or any sporting events, like ever" Jenny said firmly, in hopes that Tim would let it go; he didn't.

"That's exactly why you should come then Chase, to see what you're missing. So you'll take the truck to Laribee for the game, and then meet me back here when the buses get back, and I'll either take you home, or if you're feeling really crazy you could even come out to a party with me" Tim told Jenny, who looked shocked at the very idea of going to one of the football parties. "So come find me after school and I'll give you the keys to the truck. If you don't find me then I'll assume you're not coming to the game and found an alternative way home" he said as he opened his door and slid out of the truck.

"Tim?" Jenny called as she too got out of the truck, and Tim paused so that she could catch up with him, "Can I at least bring a friend with me to the game?"

Tim broke out into a grin and nodded his head.

"Yeah, that's fine, I'll have your tickets and the keys at the end of the day" Tim told her, walking away to meet up with a few other teammates. "Good luck on your quiz by the way" He called and Jenny yelled a thank you and headed into the school so she could get to her classroom and cram for another few minutes before class started.

***

Jenny was waiting with her friend Kim, and another of their band mates Annabeth, outside of the school at the end of the day, watching the crowds of people to try and pick Tim out of the masses.

"I still say that this is a bad idea Jen" Kim was telling her, "I mean you have never, ever expressed even the slightest interest in going to see a football game, but now that Mr. Hot Shot Quarterback Guy comes along all of a sudden you're going to a game. Not only a game, but an away game. IN HIS CAR!!"

"Technically speaking, it's a truck" Tim's voice came from behind Kim, who whipped around at the sound of his voice while Jenny tried to hide her smile. "And I don't play Quarterback, I'm a Fullback"

Ignoring Tim, Kim turned back to Jenny with a glare in her eyes.

"You could have told me he was standing right there!" she fumed, her hands clenched into fists at her side.

"I didn't know he was there Kim, I was looking at you and didn't see him until he spoke" Jenny defended herself gently against her friends' fiery temper.

"Urgh! You are going over to the dark side and you won't even admit it!" Kim practically growled. "Come find me when you're you again"

Jenny, Annabeth and Tim all watched Kim storm off towards her car, which she got into, slamming the door, and peeled out of the parking lot. No one said anything for a few moments until Tim turned to Jenny and asked, with a very serious face:

"You know the difference between a Quarterback and a Fullback, right?" and Annabeth let out a giggle before she could help herself, which caused Tim to look over at her and smile.

"Sorry" Annabeth said, trying to smother another laugh, but Tim just shrugged, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Tim Riggins"

"Annabeth Nichols"

"Do you know the difference between a Quarter and a Fullback?" he asked, to gauge how bad the situation really was.

"Not even a little, but I'm guessing I'm going to find out, seeing as I'm going to the game with Jenny"

"Oh ok, yeah now that I think of it, Jenny's mentioned you before. You're uh, in the band right?"

"Oh! Yeah that's me" The perky blonde said with an infectious smile.

"Cool, well Chase, here's the keys and your tickets. I'm trusting you with my girl here, take good care of her"

"I promise to return the truck in the same condition that which you gave it to me" Annabeth saw a glimmer of mischief in Jenny's eyes when she added innocently "You do have insurance though right? Just in case?"

Tim blanched and had started to look nervous when Jenny and Annabeth both started laughing; Tim ran a hand through his hair, smiling good naturedly.

"Real cute Chase, real cute" he deadpanned "You hurt my girl and I won't fix your car and you'll be stuck walking from now on" he mock threatened.

"Gotcha; drive safe, attend game, drive safe again and return truck in perfect condition. I can handle those instructions"

"Alright, then I'll meet you back here later"

"Ok, good luck tonight" Jenny said with a smile

"Yeah, play good football" Annabeth added "Score touchdowns...throw spirals...tackles...and I'm out. I hope you do whatever it is you're supposed to do well Tim Riggins" she flashed him a smile once she finished rambling and Tim just stared blankly at Annabeth for a moment before Jenny cracked up and Tim did the same.

"What?" Annabeth said defensively "Come on J, you know you couldn't have done any better with football terminology"

"Yeah...actually you're right" Jenny agreed and Tim sighed.

"That's just sad girls...really" he shook his head at their sad display of football knowledge.

"Oh! Fumble!! Don't fumble...those are bad right?" Jenny asked, looking excited that she got one.

"Yes Jenny, fumbles are bad" Tim said slowly, patting her on the head condescendingly, so that Jenny ducked out of the way and briefly stuck her tongue out at him. "Alright ladies, I'm off. I'll see you later on tonight" he said with a final wave before walking back to the school.

"Well, I don't know what Kim was on about...this whole you knowing Tim Riggins thing is sweet. We have an in to the popular people" Annabeth exclaimed.

"Yeah, but do we really care that we have an in with them? I mean we've never interacted with the 'popular people' outside of the occasional school project in about sixteen years, and as far as I could tell, we're pretty content with that. It seems to me it'd be weird and awkward if, all of a sudden, we started to hang out with that group just because Tim and I are...whatever we are. Friends, roommates, whatever." Jenny pointed out.

"Oh, right. Maybe that's why Kim is so bent out of shape" Annabeth said as realization dawned on her.

Jenny shot Annabeth an incredulous look, and started walking towards Tim Riggins' truck, calling over her shoulder to her friend:

"Ya think?!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

"Alright, so now what?" Jenny asked once she and Annabeth were seated in the Laribee stands waiting for 7:30 to roll around and the game to start.

"Now, we wait" Annabeth said and the pair both sighed and started people watching. "I can't believe this, the whole town is here"

"I know, it's crazy how into football everyone is. Ooh! Look, something's happening" Jenny exclaimed as the players all ran onto the field, jumping around and getting everyone in the stands as psyched up for the game as they were.

"Ok, so it looks like our team has the ball" Annabeth started to comment as the players lined up for the first play of the evening. "This seems simple enough to follow. All they're doing is – Oh my God! Did you see that?! He just bowled that guy over. Who was that?!"

"That would be Tim" Jenny said faintly, her eyes staring wide at the field, her mouth open in a slightly horrified expression at the pure violence occurring on the field.

"How do you know that's Tim?"

"He's number 33; I've seen his jersey around the house"

"Oh, well he's good at that whole tackling thing"

"No kidding. Oh!" Jenny winced again as one of the players, she didn't know which one, was taken down hard.

The girls spent the entire game with their hands over their faces as both teams got more and more aggressively violent. In the last seconds of the game it started to rain, but no one paid any attention, because the Panthers were down and needed a touchdown to win the game. It was after Tim caught the winning touchdown that Jenny and Annabeth noticed the rain and they made a mad dash for the car, beating most of the traffic out of Laribee, seeing as the rest of the fans in the stands rushed onto the field to celebrate the win.

Jenny drove Tim's truck home carefully, as promised and dropped Annabeth off, before making her way back to the school to pick up Tim. The players' bus had not yet arrived when Jenny pulled in, but there were people milling around waiting, seeing as the rain had let up, so Jenny got out of the truck and found a place leaning against the building a few feet away from the other people waiting for the team. Once she was settled, Jenny pulled a book out of her purse and emerged herself in its pages until the crowd erupted into cheers. Jenny looked up to see the bus pull in and put away her book, nimbly weaving her way through the crowd so that she was near the front, so Tim would be able to see her more easily.

The screams escalated once the first player, Smash Williams, stepped off the bus, soaking up all of the attention. Tim was about half way down the line of players departing the bus and once he stepped off the bus he immediately started to look around for Jenny, who waved to get his attention. Grinning, Tim worked his way over and pulled Jenny into a hug that nearly lifted her feet off of the ground.

"Uh, hi" Jenny said with a nervous laugh once Tim released her, and she was taken aback for a moment just how big he was smiling. "You were great tonight. Even I could tell" she told him sincerely.

Tim chuckled at that.

"Thank-you, yeah that was a good first game for you to see"

"Why is that?"

"We won" Tim said simply, "So where's your chatty little friend?"

"Annabeth? I took her home after the game, she has to work in the morning" Jenny explained.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you work in the morning?"

"Oh, no, I don't work weekends very often. I use that time to 'catch up on school work', or so my boss thinks" Jenny said with a slightly evil chuckle.

"Diabolical" Tim said with an amused tone of voice.

"Thanks, I try" Jenny said with a shrug, starting off in the direction of Tim's truck, him quickly falling into stride beside her, his hand outstretched for his keys, which she dutifully handed over.

"What are you so smiley about?" Tim asked just before they reached the large vehicle.

Jenny stopped walking and took a few deep breaths, seemingly savoring the night air.

"I just love the way things look, and smell, after it rains. Everything glows, and it's all refreshed and smells clean and...I don't know, but it's magical" she finally managed to explain, before blushing deeply and glancing up at Tim through her eye lashes. "That sounded completely stupid right?"

"No, not stupid" he said slowly "I get what you meant, I guess I've just never really stopped to think about something like that before"

Jenny accepted his answer and hopped up into the truck after taking one more deep breath of the cool night air.

Once Tim was in the truck and they were started out of the parking lot, Jenny struck up the conversation again.

"So, was that a particularly violent game?"

"No more than usual, why?"

"Jeez...how can you stand it? Everyone ploughing into each other like that, knocking each other over. It's a wonder that the ball moves more than a foot at a time"

"Yard" Tim corrected automatically, trying to suppress a laugh "And that's kinda the point. You're better than the other team, you win, when you get the ball down the field more times than they do, when they're doing everything they can to stop you"

"Oh, well yeah, I guess that makes sense, but wouldn't it be more fun if you didn't hit so hard?"

"Nope"

"Oh, alright then" Jenny gave up trying to understand the mentality of it all.

"So I just need to grab a few things at home, then I'm heading out. Are you coming to the party tonight?" Tim asked, glancing at Jenny out of the corner of his eye, and feeling his heart sink ever so slightly in disappointment when she shook her head 'no'.

"Why not?"

"I wouldn't really know anyone" Jenny used as a feeble excuse.

"You'll know me, and Saracen seems to have taken a shine to you. You could meet new people too. Come on, would it kill you to be social?"

"I am social, you just never notice because it's not with the people you know" Jenny sniffed, feeling slightly annoyed at his assumption.

"Well then what are you doing tonight?" Tim challenged

"Why do you care so much what my plans are? Up until two weeks ago you didn't even know who I was, and now you feel like you have the right to comment on my social life? I am perfectly happy with my friends, and really don't feel the need to be popular, despite what you seem to be thinking" Jenny fumed, getting upset for no particular reason other than Tim was pushing her buttons.

"Ok, whoa, how did we get from a perfectly nice conversation to a fight?" Tim asked, turning to look at Jenny as much as he could while still focusing on the road.

Jenny sighed, rubbing her temples before replying

"I don't know, I'm sorry...Tim, people like me just don't belong at those kinds of parties Ok? We're on totally different playing fields, no pun intended. I just, it would be awkward, and most likely embarrassing, and I really would just rather not, Ok?"

"Alright, sorry I asked" Tim muttered, and Jenny could almost see him closing himself off to her, which made her feel strangely upset.

"No, it's sweet of you to want me to go, but it's just not the best idea" Jenny said sweetly, trying to make eye contact with Tim, and giving him a hesitant smile when his gaze finally met hers, just after they pulled into the driveway of their house.

"Fair enough Chase, fair enough" Tim nodded before getting out of the truck.

"You want anything to eat before you go out?" Jenny offered as they walked into the front foyer.

"What are you having?"

"Well, I was gonna order a pizza actually, but I can make you something if you don't want to wait"

Tim flopped down on the couch, and grinned up at Jenny.

"There is always time for pizza Chase. Always"


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Ok, I just want to apologize ahead of time for this crap-tastic chapter...it's super short, and doesn't have much of a point, and is all filler and pretty much sucks all around, but I do have some really good plans for the next couple chapters (with some Tim/Jenny action in there for you guys, I promise!) to make up for this one. So, I'm sorry for this, I just wanted to give you something, anything, since it's been a few day since I last updated, and just...I'm so sorry.

- Mystic

Chapter Nine:

A little over an hour later, Tim had eaten a few slices of pizza and was out the door, calling good bye to Jenny as he left. Jason Street had called and told Tim where the party was, and he was there within a few minutes, getting out of his truck with a six pack in each hand and nodding to the various people who called a greeting to him. He moved around to the back of the house and grinned when he saw Street, Saracen, Landry, Tyra and a few other familiar faces around a fire pit, a seat saved for him, as always.

"Gentlemen" he greeted, settling down in his chair, bumping fists with Jason and Matt, then cracking open a beer. "Let's make some memories"

A few hours, and several beers later, only Tim and Jason remained around the dwindling fire, the others either already home, or inside the house to escape the cooler night air.

"Where's your head at Riggins?" Jason asked after watching his friend stare into the fire for almost five straight minutes.

"Jenny got mad at me today, and I don't really know why" Tim admitted, a touch of a slur to his words.

"What makes you think she was mad at you?" Jason asked, knowing he was going to have to tread lightly on this conversation if he wanted to get any information out of his friend.

"I invited her to the party, and pressed her when she said no and she just went off, saying we were on different playing fields and that she didn't belong here and that I didn't have a right to comment on her social life seeing as I didn't know her from Jack two weeks ago. I think we smoothed it out but I don't know" Tim rambled and Jason tried his best to keep up with what Tim was saying "I just can't mess this up, you know Street? I don't have anywhere else to go"

"I'm sure you didn't mess anything up Timmy, you said yourself that you think things are cool again. Now, if I didn't know any better Riggins, you care about what this girl thinks of you, which I didn't think was possible" Jason teased until Tim sent him a murderous glare. "Alright, alright, you really know what I think Tim? I think you like her, like really like her, which was bound to happen sooner or later, but you just don't know what to do with that, because she's different then the girls you usually...date, for lack of a better word"

Tim didn't respond to Jason, merely downing the half a beer he had left and opening another. Jason sighed and took another sip of the drink he had in front of him as well, letting his friend think things through the way he knew best...with the help of alcohol.

***

"Good morning Tim!" Jenny exclaimed brightly the next day when Tim stumbled into the living room at half past twelve.

"Ugh!" he made an indistinguishable noise, putting his hands up to his ears to block out the sounds Jenny was making.

"Did you have a good night?" she asked, bringing her volume back down to just below usual, grinning from the reaction she got out of Tim so 'early ' in the morning.

"Yeah...is there coffee?" he said, sitting at the kitchen table and resting his head against the cool tabletop.

"It's cold by now, I'll brew you a fresh pot. But only because you look so pathetic right now"

"Thank you" was the only muffled reply Jenny heard, as she bustled about the kitchen.

Ten minutes later there was a fresh cup of coffee, toast, and scrambled eggs in front of Tim, who perked up a little at the smell of food.

"You are a Goddess" he said bluntly before digging in, becoming more fully awake and coherent as he ate. "So when are we going to fix your car?"

"When are we what now?"

"Going to fix your car" Tim said slowly, accenting each word.

"I heard what you said, I just...well I was going to get it towed today if that's what you mean"

"Don't do that, I'll take a look at it, see if I can't fix it up for you. At least get it running again so that you can drive it to a shop if need be"

"Oh, Tim, you don't have to do that, really"

"S'no big deal; was gonna work on my truck today, but yours is in more need of it than mine"

"Well, if you're sure you don't mind?"

"What time do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready, I guess" Jenny smiled gratefully.

"Ok" Tim said with a shrug, going back to his food as Jenny cleaned up and then sat in the living room reading a book until Tim re-emerged from his room showered and dressed for the day.

It was a short drive to the movie theatre where Jenny worked, and as soon as Tim popped the hood of her beat up clunker car, he spotted the problem. One of the hoses had disconnected, and it took him all of two seconds to reattach it and close the hood.

"All better" he told Jenny, laughing at her incredulous stare.

"That's it? Is it just not fixable, or did you really just fix it in like point two seconds?"

"I'm just that good" Tim teased for a second, running his hand through his hair "Naw, just a hose that came off. Try it now and you should be good to go"

Jenny quickly opened the car door and leaned in to turn the key in the ignition, laughing when it roared to life right away.

"You are a God" Jenny told Tim, mimicking his earlier words to her with a smile. "Thank you!" she impulsively reached over and gave Tim a quick hug, then pulled away, blushing horribly as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "So, uh, I-I should go. What do I owe you for fixing my car?"

Tim thought for a moment and then another smile came across his face.

"Another football game. It can be a home game this time, since it was a smaller favour"

"Oh...well, I guess I could do that. I-I might actually be able to figure out some of the rules this time, since I'll be used to the violence this time...I hope" she rambled a little.

"Wow, I didn't even have to argue with you that time" Tim noted, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

"Did you want me to put up a fuss? Because that can be arranged" Jenny told him with a quick smirk.

"Naw, I'm good...so I guess I'll see you later at home?"

"Yeah, I'll be back before I have to go to rehearsal"

"Cool, see you then" Tim nodded at Jenny and sauntered back to his truck, giving a final wave before pulling out of the parking lot, leaving Jenny to sit in her car with her feet out the door, on the pavement, as she breathed in the fresh air and tried to clear her head of the fog that had settled in after her close encounter with Tim Riggins. She shook her head, telling herself to get a grip; not wanting to admit that the boy was getting to her as much as he really was.


	10. Chapter 10 Part One

A/N: Hey guys, so while I was writing this chapter I realized I made a mistake concerning Matt and Julie's relationship...this is set in Season Two, when Matt and Julie were broken up, yet I have them still together in this story. I'm gonna go ahead and keep them together, simply for the fact that I don't want to go back and change those one or two parts that I may have written Julie into. So please ignore that mistake and imagine, for the sake of this story, that Matt and Julie never broke up, there was no Swede etc.

Also, this chapter ended up being so long that I split it into a part one and part two, so that it would be a little easier to read hopefully.

I just wanted to say thanks, as well, to everyone who has been reviewing and saying such wonderful things about the story...I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Please keep those reviews coming, they really do mean the world to me 3 And a special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter and told me how wrong I was about my opinion of the chapter (I wasn't pleased with the way it turned out but had several people tell me they thought otherwise). Anyway, here's Chapter Ten parts one and two. I hope you enjoy them!

- Mystic

Chapter Ten Part One:

"Hey guys!" Jenny greeted her friends and band members as she entered Annabeth's parents' garage where they held band practice a few times a week.

Sitting at the drum kit was a very pissed off looking Kim, next to her, holding her bass, was Annabeth, who waved at Jenny, and finally, just when Jenny was about to ask where the last members of the band were, the door that led from the house to the garage opened and Leslie Simms and Sarah Marshall came in.

"Hey Jen" Leslie chirped, oblivious to the tension in the air caused by Kim's glaring at Jenny.

"Hey, so what do we feel like working on first?" Jenny asked, setting down the case for her acoustic guitar and sitting behind her keyboards, which she usually left in the garage so she wouldn't have to tote it back and forth every day.

"You know you're not the leader of the band Jenny, stop being so bossy" Kim snarled and Jenny raised her eyebrows but held up her hands in defence.

"Ok, sorry, you go ahead Kim"

"How about we start working on the fact that you are a traitorous bitch and go from there?" Kim spat, and all three girls were shocked at her vicious reaction.

"Whoa, Kim, Do you have something you'd like to talk about?" Sarah asked sarcastically, getting defensive on Jenny's behalf.

"Yeah, actually, I do. I want to know how Jenny can just sit here like normal and pretend nothing is going on when she is clearly being seduced by Riggins and the other clones!"

"Kim, calm down" Leslie tried to sooth her friend.

"Shut it Les!"

"Hey!" Jenny yelled, standing up quickly "You are upset with me, don't yell at her"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Kim stood up as well.

"You do need to calm down Kim, you are over reacting _so_ badly right now. Just because I'm getting along with Tim now doesn't mean I'm not still your friend first...I'm not going to ditch you for him if that's what you're thinking"

"Of course that's not what she's-" Annabeth started, but Kim cut her off:

"Oh, that's exactly what I'm thinking! Give it time...she'll leave us and never look back and I for one, won't wait around for that to happen. You're out of the band" Kim declared.

"What?!" Leslie exclaimed.

"Kim!" Sarah looked just as shocked as Jenny did.

"You can't" Annabeth protested.

"I beg to differ; it was my idea to start the band, I invited you to join it Jen, and now...now I'm kicking you out"

"You know what Kim, that's just fine, but you can't use any of my songs. So that means you're left with, oh, nothing" Jenny shot back, using anger to cover up the immense pain she was feeling from her friends betrayal.

"Whatever, we don't need your crappy songs, we'll write better ones" Kim said, trying to sound confident.

"Good luck with that" Jenny grabbed her guitar case, slinging it across her back and unplugging her keyboard, lugging the whole machine to her car that was parked on the street.

She had just loaded both of her instruments into the backseat of her car when the stand to her keyboard crashed down by her feet, landing hard from the force that Kim had thrown it with.

"You brought this upon yourself Kim. I'll come back as soon as you've come to your senses. I'm still your Jenny, and y'all will always be my girls" Jenny whispered, fighting back tears as she shut the car door and jogged around to the driver's side. She was barely half way down the block when her tears spilt over.

While she was driving home, Jenny saw a line up of cars parked near a house, and she recognised Tim's truck as part of the line up. Making a split second decision, Jenny parked her car and walked towards the party displaying more confidence than she really felt. The front door was propped open and despite the fairly early hour the foyer was packed with people, so Jenny shuffled into the crowd, keeping her eyes peeled for someone she knew.

Music was thumping so loud that the bass sent vibrations up from the floor through her feet as she wormed her way through the throngs of people. She was nearly to a gap in the bodies pressing in around her when she found herself pressed up against the chest of none other than Smash Williams.

"Well hey there, you be Riggins' girl right?" he asked with a friendly, yet slightly intimidating smile.

"I, um, well I guess you could put it that way" Jenny stuttered, kicking herself for sounding so out of place when she was trying to blend in.

"In that case, what can the Smash do for you? You looking for someone or something?"

"Could you help me find something to drink?" Jenny asked, looking Smash in the eye, trying to imitate the confident look she often saw Tyra Collette and Lyla Garrity wearing in hopes that Smash might not notice that she hadn't been invited to this particular gathering.

"That's definitely something the Smash can help you with" he told her, leading the way to the kitchen, pulling her into his side so that they could talk on the way. "So are you crashing or did Riggs invite you?"

Mentally sighing in defeat, Jenny glanced up at Smash from the corner of her eye.

"Does it matter?" Smash laughed.

"Nope, just curious is all"

"Well then, I'm crashing...had a rough night and need a distraction" Jenny told the truth, figuring her night couldn't get much worse no matter what happened.

"Atta girl!" Smash crowed "That ears you some of the good stuff"

They had reached the kitchen, but Smash by-passed the table full of kegs and plastic cups and pulled a bottle of rum and a few cans of coke out of a cabinet on the other side of the room. He grabbed a few of the plastic cups and quickly went about mixing two drinks. Passing one to Jenny, he winked at her and disappeared back into the crowd.

Jenny sipped slowly, but steadily on her drink, her eyes unfocused as she played the fight her and Kim had had in her head over and over. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Smash re-filling her drink until he was re-capping the rum and patter on the shoulder, checking that she was alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she mumbled.

"Well drink up then, you look like you need it" he told her and Jenny complied by taking a large sip, downing a third of the cup in one go. "That's what I'm talking about! See you around kid" And with that he had disappeared again.

Matt Saracen was the next to stumble across Jenny, just as she downed the rest of her drink in a hurry.

"Jenny? What are- I didn't know you were gonna be here"

"Neither d-did I. I crashed the party, so I get the good stuff" she stage whispered to Matt, who caught a whiff of her breath and coughed.

"What are you drinking?"

"Rum and coke...mostly rum though, I th-think" Jenny giggled as she stumbled over her words.

"Hey does, uh, does Riggins know you're here?"

"Nope" she said, popping the 'p'. "But it doesn't matter because I'm being social, which apparently I don't do enough"

"Well, if you ask me, you aren't so much being social as you are being drunk. It's pretty early still, you should pace yourself" Matt cautioned.

"What time is it?" Jenny asked, her voice overly loud and causing several people in the kitchen to glance at her for a moment before turning back to their other conversations.

"About nine" Matt said after checking his watch.

"Holy cow!" Jenny exclaimed again.

"Yeah...Ok, so I'm gonna go check on Julie, so I'll be back in a minute, Ok?"

"Okie dokie"

Matt slipped away, groaning when he turned around to see Jenny fixing another drink.


	11. Chapter 10 Part Two

Chapter Ten Part Two:

Hurrying his pace, Matt found Tim sitting on the back porch with a can of beer in hand.

"Uh, Tim?"

"Seven" he acknowledged.

"Um, well, Jenny is inside and she's drunk, so I didn't know if you know, or cared, but I think she's upset about something, and I though you should know in case you didn't already" Matt stammered and rambled until Tim stopped him by abruptly standing up and getting right into his face.

"Where is she?"

"Kitchen"

"Thanks Seven" Tim said, then took off moving thought eh house, barking at anyone who didn't get out of his way fast enough.

Bursting into the kitchen he quickly found Jenny, now sitting in the corner she had previously been standing in, her third drink half gone. Tim lowered himself to sit next to her, casually throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey Chase, didn't know I'd be seeing you here tonight" he said calmly, though on the inside he was anything but calm.

"I'm being social" Jenny said slowly, so she wouldn't slur too badly.

"Ah" Tim nodded in understanding, a pang of guilt hitting him when he thought that she might only have gotten into this situation because of him. "So..." he paused to sniff the cup in her hand. "Did Smash give you the rum or did you find his stash on your own?"

"Smash showed me the stash. Ha! Smash stash...I rhyme"

Tim smiled at her obvious amusement and stealthily snuck the cup out of her hand, gulping down the contents.

"Hey, you rum my drank!" Jenny said indignantly, not noticing her word mix-up.

"Yeah I think you've rum enough drank tonight Chase...you wanna get out of here? Go down to the lake and get some air?"

"Yeah...it's hot in here" she said, fanning at herself.

"Ok, you think you can get up?"

"That" she hit Tim on the arm for emphasis "That is a very goodly question Mr. Tim Riggins"

Tim got to his feet and then reached down to take Jenny's hands and hauled her to her feet, catching her when she couldn't get her balance and held her close until she could stand on her own.

"You good?" he murmured in her ear and smirked when he felt goose-bumps erupt on the skin of her arms.

"I'm good, let's go" Jenny said quietly, glancing up to look at Tim, a blush gracing her cheeks from both the alcohol and their close proximity.

Tim held onto Jenny's hand as she stumbled along behind him through the house. Smash cat-called at them, but was silenced by a glare from Tim. Matt Saracen stopped them by the door and offered his help, but Tim declined, telling him that they had it under control.

Just as Tim helped Jenny to sit down sideways in her car, her feet still on the pavement, she grabbed onto Tim's arms for support and groaned.

"Oh my God, the world is spinning"

Tim chuckled and pulled her into a hug, letting her get some comfort from the solid, unmoving body holding her safe.

"I know it's spinning Jen, keep your eyes open, it'll pass. You ever drink before Chase?"

"No" she whimpered "And never again"

Her response made Tim laugh and she smacked at him half-heartedly.

"No moving" she demanded weakly.

"You think your gonna puke, you tell me" Tim told her, only half joking.

"Not gonna be sick, just dizzy...well, less dizzy now. You smell good"

Tim didn't reply, just smiled and helped Jenny to sit up on her own and finally manage to swing her legs around into the vehicle so he could close the door and run around to the driver's side. Once he was in he asked for Jenny's car keys and she squirmed around until she produced them from her pocket, handing them over obediently. Tim rolled down the windows and began the 20 minute drive to the lake, both of them sitting in comfortable silence.

"We're in my car" Jenny said a few minutes later. "Where's your truck?"

"Back at the house. We'll go get it tomorrow. Don't worry, she's safe for tonight"

"Ok...no one would dare steal Tim Riggins' car anyway. My car isn't any nicer than yours, probably less nice actually, but if someone were to steal a car they'd pick mine over yours because you could kill anyone who stole your car"

"Wanna know something Chase?" Tim asked her, and Jenny rolled her head left to look at him, her eyes slightly glazed over.

"Okay"

"I'd kill anyone who stole your car too"

"Oh...cool" Jenny smiled at him and then went back to looking out the window.

"You feeling any better?"

"No more spinning, less slurring...more rambling" Jenny said decisively after doing a quick self-monitor of her level of drunkenness.

"Fair enough. Just hang tight, we're almost there"

Five minutes later they pulled into a secluded spot at the lake, no other cars or people there due to the cooler fall weather. Jenny let herself out of the car and slowly wandered down until she was only about ten yards from the water's edge and sat down. She felt Tim sit next to her but appreciated that he stayed silent and let her think.

"I've heard people say that drinking is a good way to forget their pain...that's why it's so addictive. I drank more than my fair share tonight and all it seemed to do was trap me inside my own head with the very thing I was trying to forget" Jenny said quietly, her voice barely past a whisper.

"My friend Kim, the first friend I made when I moved here, seems to think that I'm gonna go over to the dark side and become a popular person now that we're sorta getting along. She thinks I'm going to be seduced, she used that word, seduced, into your ways and forget all about her and Sarah and Les and Anna and the band, so she decided to cut my ties for me and kick me out of the band before I had a chance to do it first.

"But it's so ridiculous because I've known those girls for almost seven years now; they are my best friends, I don't want to forget them. But Kim kicked me out of the band, and no one said anything to stop her. Not even Annabeth" Jenny didn't realise that while she was talking she had started crying until she felt Tim's large hand on her cheek, his thumb gently brushing away her tears.

Not saying anything, Tim moved so that Jenny was sitting in between the V of his upward bent legs, her back up against his chest and his strong arms wrapped around her middle, holding her close. Jenny let herself relax into his embrace and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder, her temple touching his chin and her arms resting lightly on top of his. Neither said anything for a while, both content in merely feeling less alone while in the others embrace. Finally, just as Jenny felt her eyes drifting shut, Tim moved his head just a few inches, pressed a kiss into Jenny's hair, and tightened his grip on her ever so slightly. Jenny slipped one of her hands into his, giving it a light squeeze and then leaving it there, enjoying the heat from his skin flowing over hers as they both stared out into the night.


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the wait again, things have been crazy around my neck of the woods and I haven't had a lot of time for writing. So here's Chapter 11, it's mostly just filler and fluff, but some important stuff happens near the end. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Also I don't own any of the movies referenced in this chapter!

- Mystic

Chapter Eleven:

Jenny woke up feeling stiff and sore, with her head throbbing and a bad taste in her mouth. She slowly opened her eyes and shot straight up when she realized that she was not in her bedroom as she ought to be, but that she was outside, at the lake. Her sudden movement made her head spin and she groaned. A male voice laughing behind her caused her to move too quickly again and she put her hand up to her head as her vision swam in and out of focus.

"How you feeling Chase?" Jenny recognized the voice of Tim Riggins.

"Ugh..." she groaned, flopping back down onto the cool ground.

"Yeah, I figured as much. What do you remember from last night?" he sauntered over and sat next to Jenny on the ground, reaching over to pat her shoulder sympathetically as she put her hands over her eyes to block out the sun. "Here, you need these more than I do" he passed her his sunglasses, which she gratefully slipped on, keeping her eyes closed.

"Band, fight, party, Smash, rum, Matt, you, lake, cuddle" Jenny mumbled as she slowly tried to sit up, letting Tim put his hand on her lower back to help her.

"I think that pretty much covers it. Now, let's see about getting some food into you"

"No food!" Jenny protested as emphatically as possible, which granted, wasn't all that emphatic considering her condition.

"I know it sounds unappealing now, but it does help settle your stomach. Trust me, I'm an expert on these things" Tim smiled wryly.

"Fine, but if I puke it's your fault" Jenny pouted playfully at him.

"Naw, you're in the clear. If you were gonna you would have already. Now let's go, we have a lazy hangover day to get to"

"What does a lazy hangover day entail?" Jenny asked, trying to prolong the inevitable standing up that was going to occur in the near future.

"Greasy breakfast, aspirin, water and a movie marathon"

"Oh. That doesn't sound too bad. Only thing: I don't think I can get up right now" Jenny looked over at Tim and he had to laugh since she looked so pathetic.

"Come on Chase, you'll be ok" Tim stood up and before Jenny could protest he had gripped her under the arms to haul her to her feet, and then scooped her into his arms bridal style, and was walking towards the truck.

"Tim! Tim put me down, you'll hurt yourself!" Jenny exclaimed, clinging tightly to him when he began to shake with laughter.

"I plough people who weigh more than twice what you do every day at football, and I could bench press you no problem Chase, I'll be fine" Tim said as he gently deposited Jenny next to the passenger door of her car, opening it up for her and then jogging back to the driver's side and getting in.

"So why do you have all your instruments in the car?" Tim asked after a few minutes of silent driving.

"I packed them up after the fight...I was going to go home and wallow with a pint of Ben and Jerry's but then I saw the party, and I already wasn't thinking clearly, and well...you know the rest. Thank you, by the way, for getting me out of there, for taking care of me. You didn't have to, but you did and, well, thanks"

"Oh, um, you're welcome" Tim mumbled, then turned on the radio, keeping the volume down for Jenny's sake, but she still got the message that he didn't want to talk anymore.

***

An hour later Tim and Jenny had settled into their living room, the garbage from their greasy breakfast piled up on the kitchen counter, and a selection of movies spread out before them.

"Now, the movie picking process is crucial to the hangover day experience" Tim said solemnly, though Jenny could see the teasing sparkle in his eyes. "You choose the wrong combination of movies and it throws the whole day out of whack.

"Uh oh, that sounds serious...so what are our movie choices?" Jenny asked, playing along by pretending to be utterly serious about the conversation.

"I have a proposal; it's intense, and I don't know if you can handle it, since you're a newbie and all, but I'm willing to let you try"

"Alright, hit me with it" Jenny winced in preparation for the movie titles.

"Ok, so we start off easy, Ghostbusters followed by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, then we get more extreme, we go Fight Club and then depending on the mood, either Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Empire Strikes Back, then, we end it with Top Gun"

"Are suggestions welcome or is this a set list?" Jenny questioned.

"You don't like the list?" Tim pretended to be hurt.

"No, I like the list, but I propose that instead of having to choose either Star Wars or Indiana Jones, we save those for a different movie marathon day, and watch The Breakfast Club instead. And before you make a face and whine, I need to know if you've actually seen it or not" Jenny moved so that she was sitting cross legged next to Tim on the couch, but turned sideways so that she was facing him, getting ready to battle for her choice of movie.

"Isn't it like, a chick flick?"

"No! It's not a chick flick at all; it's about five high school students, each from a different clique at school, getting a Saturday detention. It's a classic, and you need to see it. Come on, can't I pick at least one movie, we're watching like five?" Jenny mock-pouted at him.

"Fine, but if it sucks we're turning it off" Tim said.

"Sweet! I promise you'll like it" Jenny smiled at him and Tim felt his heart skip a beat.

Getting up to put on the movie, he gave himself a mental shake, telling himself to get a grip. He quickly put the DVD for Ghostbusters into the player and then joined Jenny back on the couch, where she had settled back into her corner after winning the Great DVD Debate. Tim flopped onto his corner of the couch and pressed play when the menu came up, letting the opening music wash over them.

Several hours, after Ferris Bueller's Day Off was just ending, Tim and Jenny both got up off the couch and stretched out their muscles, which had grown stiff from sitting for so long.

"I need food" Jenny declared, before going into the kitchen, Tim hot on her heels.

"We have anything quick and easy?" he asked, "Remember, this is supposed to be a lazy day, no cooking required"

"Hmm...Kraft Dinner?"

"Good enough" Tim agreed and they set about making the snack.

Tim excused himself to go to the bathroom, and when he came back Jenny was sitting on one of the counters, holding a paper towel to her finger, a stray tear on her cheek.

"Whoa, Chase, what happened?" Tim asked, quickly coming over to check on her finger, which Jenny pulled away from him and held protectively to her chest.

"I cut my finger with the knife I was using trying to open the pasta box. It's fine" she said, though her voice had a small quaver to it.

"Come on, let me look" Tim said quietly, reaching out with a surprisingly gentle hand take Jenny's hand and pull it closer to him so he could get a better look.

Jenny winced and gasped a little when he took the paper towel off, and he glanced up apologetically before returning to the task at hand. He inspected the fairly shallow cut, and saw that while it was bleeding quite a bit, it wasn't overly serious. Repeating his actions from earlier that day, Tim lifted Jenny up off of the counter and into his arms, moving briskly down the hall to the bathroom, where he set her on the counter and pulled out the First Aid kit. Then he set about the task of cleaning the cut, putting some ointment on it and wrapping a band aid around her finger, all of which he did extremely carefully so as to not hurt Jenny.

Glancing up at her he saw that Jenny was watching his every move intently. Once he finished making sure the band aid wasn't going to slip, he straightened up and brought Jenny's hand up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it, and smirking when a blush exploded across Jenny's fair features. His expression softened, however, and he spontaneously moved his hand up from hers to cup her face gently, and slowly he bent down and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her sweetly for just a moment.

Jenny had stayed still throughout the whole interaction, but once Tim had pulled away she looked up at him with wide eyes, and brought her hands up to her lips in a moment of disbelief before the shock set in. In a spit second reaction, she had slipped off of the counter, and was out of the bathroom and half way down the hall to her room before Tim had even been able to react to the fact that she was gone. He flinched when he heard her bedroom door shut, and he cursed himself for reading the situation wrong, again. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, things would play out the same way they had with Jackie, and that after thinking about things for a while, Jenny would be able to calm down and would want to be with him, because, he realised with a flood of understanding, that is what he wanted. He wanted to be with Jenny Chase, and now that he had a goal, he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Alright guys, here is Chapter Twelve...I've gotta give you a heads up though, I feel like Tim is kind of Out of Character for this chapter, but just because of what needed to be covered, I didn't really think that there was a way around it. So I tried to make it as authentically Tim as I could, but I don't think it's quite as spot on as it has been in other chapters. Either way, please let me know what you think of the chapter. And, as always, thank you so much for all the wonderful comments y'all have left for the previous chapters, they mean the world to me! 3

- Mystic

Chapter Twelve:

Tim sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face, taking a breath, and deciding that he was going to have to do one of the things he hated most: talk about his feelings. He nearly shuddered at the thought, but he knew he would need to with Jenny, since obvious his usual approach had not worked. Steeling himself, Tim walked down the hall and, knocking once, let himself into Jenny's room.

Jenny was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard with her legs curled up to her chest, her arms around her knees. She looked startled to see Tim in her room, especially after she had embarrassed herself so badly.

"T-Tim...um, wh-what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk" he said causally, sitting on the bed next to Jenny, stretching his long legs out in front of him and turning his head to look at her. "You want me to go first?" he offered when Jenny stayed quiet.

"That would be good"

"Alright, so this whole 'feelings' thing? I don't do that a whole lot so keep that in mind. So, I talked to Jay a few nights back after we had our little bow out, and he said that I care about what you think of me, which got me thinking since I don't usually care about what anyone thinks...besides Jay and Coach"

"What about Lyla?" Jenny asked quietly, looking down at her hands, which were fidgeting in her lap.

"I thought I did...but the thing with Garrity, is that she was never happy with me unless I was playing the part she wanted me to play. I never met her expectations and she couldn't accept that. With you...I want to do better, be a better person, I want you to be proud of me, I want to be good enough for you" Now it was Tim's turn to avoid eye contact when Jenny peeked over at him while he spoke, though this time she didn't interrupt. "I've been trying harder...and it's like, the stuff I have been doing, it's like I don't even have to try. I didn't realise it, but I haven't skipped class since I've moved in, I've been doing my assignments, there's been less drinking...and I guess it's all for you"

Jenny had tears in her eyes when Tim was done talking, and she took a shaky breath before speaking.

"I, um...when Mrs. Taylor first approached me about a new roommate, well, about _you_ as a new roommate, I was terrified. I mean the whole town knows you and your reputation. I don't listen to town rumours as a general rule, but I knew you were, are, one of the most sought after men in Dillon, but I also knew that you couldn't have picked me out from a line-up. My friends and I are happily invisible at school...we're smart, and weird, and so 'un-cool' that I've lived here for six years and you didn't know who I was, and I was fine with that. But now, living with you, I see that a lot of what people think about you isn't true. You're smart...maybe not book smart, though you could be if you applied yourself- you you're street smart, and kind, and fiercely loyal. You were a little self centered to begin with, but once we got to know each other, and I yelled at you, that stopped. And I have noticed the increased sobriety"

"So why'd you run?" Tim asked, and Jenny could have sworn she saw a flicker of hurt flash past Tim's eyes before they were only full of questions.

"Well, when I said my friends and me are invisible, that meant not only to the other girls our age, but to the boys too. The last boy who kissed me was Jimmy Fisher in grade seven at a school dance. I...well you have a _lot_ more experience than me. I, well I'm not like those other girls" Jenny fought hard to keep eye contact with Tim, though she wanted nothing more than to burrow under the covers to hide from the intensity of his gaze.

"That's part of what I like about you Chase...Jenny. I don't want one of those other girls. They're fun and all, but most meant next to nothing, and they're a dime a dozen. I don't want to just have a one-time thing anymore. I want you, only you" Tim finally just outright said it, and Jenny's eyes grew wide.

"Like, a relationship?" She had to be sure that she understood what he was saying.

"Yeah a-a relationship" Tim only stumbled slightly on the unfamiliar word.

"That scares me" Jenny admitted.

"Me too. My one or two 'relationships" he made air quotes around that word to stress his point "I cheated, or she was cheating on someone else to be with me, and neither ended well"

Jenny finally sat up straight and turned, sitting cross legged to face Tim on the bed, squaring her shoulders to try and look much more confident than she really felt.

"I don't trust well Tim...I'd need you to swear that you would be faithful, and to be patient with me. I need to know if I can trust you completely like that" Tim saw the vulnerability in Jenny's eyes and knew this conversation was just as hard for her as it was for him.

Tim reached out and took Jenny's hand in his own, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before looking her in the eye and speaking.

"You can trust me Jenny, I swear it"

Upon hearing those words, Jenny smiled so brightly that Tim would have had that whole awkward conversation all over again if it would make her smile like that more often.

"So, we're trying this then?" Jenny confirmed.

"It would appear that way" Tim nodded, a slow smile spreading over his features to match Jenny's.

"Ok, so, now what?"

"Well, if I was to kiss you right now, would you run off again?" Tim asked, only half joking.

"I'd try really hard not to" Jenny replied honestly, her heart skipping a beat at the mere thought.

Tim shifted closer to Jenny and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in and using his other hand to tilt her face up so that she was looking at his face instead of being eye-level with his chest.

"There, that's better" he murmured before leaning down and capturing her lips with his.

Tim kissed her gently for a moment before deepening the kiss slightly, Jenny's light gasp allowing enough of a gap for him to slip his tongue gently into her mouth. She tensed for a moment before Tim's coaxing tongue and soothing arms on her arms and back helped her to relax and eventually start to timidly kiss him back. They carried on with those slow, deep kisses for several minutes before Tim slowly broke the kiss, drawing Jenny into his arms for a hug as they both caught they're breath.

"Wow" Jenny breathed, giggling when Tim smirked and preened at the compliment. Jenny was just about to say something when a strange look passed over Tim's face and he sat up a little straighter for a moment.

"Hold up, something just clicked" He told her, pulling away slightly but keeping Jenny firmly in the strong circle of his arms as they both rested back against the headboard. "You're a virgin still, aren't you?"

"Oh" Jenny blushed a deep shade of red and nodded her head without making eye-contact. "Is that...do you mind?"

"No, of course not, I've just...well it won't be the first time I've been someone's first, but it'll be the first time when she's been a girlfriend; when it's mattered" Tim said, rubbing Jenny's arm reassuringly.

"So is it alright if we wait? I know it's stupid, but I want my first time to be special, with someone I love, not just the first guy to come along"

"Keep in mind that you are just about the only person I've ever said this to Jenny, but yes, I am Ok with waiting to have sex" Tim dipped his head to make sure that he caught Jenny's eye as he spoke, so that she would know he was serious.

Jenny broke into a blinding smile and threw her arms back around Tim's neck, whispering "Thank you" in his ear.

"Alright" Jenny said once she was back on her side of the bed "I'm still hungry, we never did get that Kraft Dinner"

"Yeah, maybe you should let me do the cooking tonight, you seem to be a hazard to your own health when left alone in the kitchen" Tim teased

"Well if you're offering to cook I'm not going to deny it. You get started and I'll set up the Breakfast Club" Jenny hopped off the bed, Tim right behind her.

"No way, Fight Club was next on the list"

"Oh come on, we can deviate a little bit from the plan can't we?" Jenny pouted.

"Fine, I'm letting you win this one time, but don't expect that pout to always work" Tim told her, as he walked into the kitchen to continue with the food preparations Jenny had left out when she had gone to tend to her cut finger.

"Yay!" Jenny laughed, clapping her hands together a few times before skipping off into the living room to set up the movie. "You're gonna love it, I swear" she called from the other room, while Tim just shook his head and smiled.


End file.
